Fuse



R. APOTHLOZ June 9, 1953 FUSE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 29, 1948 INVENTOR: Ko/Jer Alsof/)e702 |53 MLM ATTorLNEss R. APOTHLOZ June 9, 1953 FUSE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 29, 1948 INVENTOR;

Rober-f APo'fhe/Zoz ATTO RNEHS Patented June 9, 1953 UNITED STATES ATENT @FICE FUSE Application October t9, 194,8, Serial Ne- .57,1523 VIan Switzerland N ovember 3. .194:7V

(Cl. g-49) 1 Claim.

One of the most essential requirements .of fuses is the elimination oi Ithe danger of premature detonation in the vicinity of the barrel. Many types of fuses are known which have 'been designed to this end and which guarantee with more or less simple means the prevention of premature detonation. In cach case, however, the fuse `requires special construction.

rlhe Epresent invention relates to a detonating cap proof ,against premature .detellation which meets the requirement of safety 4 from premature detonation with a fuse of any design whatsoever.

The detonating cap ensuring safety both in transport and in the vicinity of the barrel in accordance with the present invention is charac terised by the fact that it is provided with a body disposed so as to be displaceable transversely to the fuse axis in a recess and sealing the aperture to be pierced by the fuse striker when in the transportable state, which body bears at one side on a spring and is forced by the latter against the opposite wall, and is provided at its side opposite the buffer spring with a cavity filled with a heavy yet liquid material, Which cavity is connected via a small bore, through which. the filling material can be expelled under the action of centrifugal force, to a cavity disposed in the body oi the detonating cap and serving to accommodate the heavy liquid material discharged under the action of centrifugal force, the whole being arranged in such a way that, after the discharge of the heavy, liquid material, the centre of gravity oi the body is so displaced that the body is moved, under the action of centrifugal force, in opposition to the spring and thus releases the striker.

In the enclosed drawing two typical embodiments of the invention are represented as follows:

Fig. 1 a section through a fuse with the detonating cap in the transportable state;

Fig. 2 a section along the line I-I in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 a section through the fuse as in Fig. 1, showing the position of the individual components subsequent to ignition;

Fig. Ll a section along the line II-II in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 a section through a fuse with the detonating cap in the transportable state according to a second embodiment;

6 a section along the line III- III in Fig. 5;

Fig. I a section through the fuse as in Fig. 5, showing the position of the individual components subsequent to ignition;

Fig. d a section along the line IV-IV in Fig. 7.

The fuse represented in the drawing may be of any desired design.

external shape of the body 6 is such as is produced by the .placing ,together of two halves each forming almost .a semiercle, as shown in Fie. 2. In one of the halves a recess 1 `iS provided which is filled with a heavy material such as lead. In the opposite h aglf a recess t is likewise provided.

into .which ya lateral aperture 9 opens which is.y sea-led 'by means of a diaphragm or membrane l0. The recess S is iilled with a likewise heavy, but liquid material, such as mercury for instance. The body 6 has a central slot ll in which the striker l2 of the fuse engages. n shoulder I3 protruding into the slot Il seals, however, the aperture leading to the primer tl, so that the striker |12 is prevented from penetrating into the primer when in the transportable state, even if its other safety devices have been removed. The body l is finally forced by a leaf-spring l5 disposed in the recess t against the side of the recess 3 opposite the leaf-spring I5. The body 6 is sealed by a cap it, which likewise has an aperture ita communicating with the aperture 9, sealed by a diaphragm 15J, of the body 5. In the detonating cap body I a cavity Il is provided inside the recess 3. The diaphragm lli may also be dispensed with if the aperture is of such small dimensions that the mercury cannot, in the normal way and under the effect of any jolting which may occur during transport, now out but is only expelled under the action of centrifugal force.

The mode of operation of the detonating cap proof against premature detonation in accordance with Figs. 1-4 is briefly as follows:

When the projectile is red, the body G is rst held in the position represented in Fig. 2, 'as the weight of the mass accommodated in the recess 3 is greater than that of the mass provided in the recess l. Under the action of the centrifugal force, however, the diaphragm It) is now pierced and the heavy yet liquid material, for example mercury, ows slowly out of the recess 3 into the cavity I1. If the safety devices of the fuse become armed, for example, ignition can nevertheless not yet take place because access to the primer I4 is blocked for the striker l2 by the shoulder I3 in the body 6. Once the material provided in the recess @i has flown out into the cavity I?, only the heavy material provided in the recess 'n' remains operative, causing the leaf-spring i5 to be compressed under the action of centrifugal in Figs. l-4, the recess 1 is here eliminated. The.

body is fashioned in such a way that, after discharge of the mercury from the recess 3, the centre of gravity is displaced and the body 6 assumes the position shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Thev mode of operation is therefore the same as in the case of the embodiment in accordance with Figs. 1-4.

By virtue of the present invention any fuse whatsoever which is not provided With'special devices to ensure the prevention of premature detonation in the vicinity of the barrel may be rendered proof against such premature. detonation. As the construction of the detonating cap is moreover extremely simple, a considerable reduction in cost and an appreciable simplification is achieved in comparison with existing fuses designed to prevent premature detonation.

I claim:

A detonating cap for projectile fuses, said cap comprising, in combination with a striker` and a primer, a hollow body, a plate at the bottom of said hollow body, a sealing body displaceably mounted on said plate and having two curved halves, one of said halves being of substantially -heavy weight, the other one of said halves hav- 4 ing a recess and an aperture formed therein. a diaphragm sealing said aperture from said recess. said recess being adapted to be lled with heavy liquid material, said hollow body having a recess formed .therein and communicating with the recess of thesealingrbody when said diaphragm is pierced, said sealing bodyv further having a passage formed therein, and a shoulder separating said striker from said primer in the inoperative position of said sealing body, and a spring engaging said sealing body to shift it from said inoperative position to an operative position when the heavy liquid material has flown through said aperture from the recess of the sealing body into the recess of the hollow body, said passage establishing a communication between said strikerand said primer in said operative position.

ROBERT APo'rHE'Loz.

References Cited in the'le of this patent UNITED STATES YPATENTS Number Name Date 1,472,941 Schneider Nov. 6, 1923 1,792,631 Deevy Feb. 17, 1931 2,331,633 Spooner Oct. 12, 1943 FOREIGN PA'IENTS Number Country Date 129,041 Great Britain July 10, 1919 245,766 Great Britain Jan. 4, 1926 (not accepted) 891,973 France Dec. 17, 1943 

